From Wheelchair to Walker

On Easter Sunday, I finally started leaving the house with the use of a walker.

Up until this point, all my venturing out had been done in a wheelchair.    While Steve's been working, my friend Brian has helped push me to my real estate office, to Radnor Lake, to the Nashville Film Festival, and to a few restaurants that have wheelchair access.  Although the doctor said that I could use a walker or crutches weeks ago, the fact that I can't weight-bear and must hop on one leg has made me choose the wheelchair when leaving home.  Hopping on one leg is tiring!  And you can't carry anything while using a walker.

While at the Nashville Film Festival last week, I saw a couple of ladies getting around quite well on crutches.  I was envious, so I decided I'd chuck the chair and start using crutches.  Steve had been given a pair by his physical therapist, but unfortunately they were too short.  He also had two sets of crutches in the basement, but they were too tall.  So I succumbed back to the chair to finish out the festival.  Besides, being in a wheelchair gave me advanced seating, and pretty much the best seat in the house.

On my first trip out of the house to go to the doctor's office 3 weeks after surgery, I was moved by how helpful and friendly strangers were when they saw me in the wheelchair.  People offered to hold doors, they let me on the elevator first, they asked me questions and offered sympathy.  I was taken aback by the attention.  When we went to restaurants I was given special treatment with seating and doors being held open as well.

What I noticed once I progressed to the walker is that I didn't get the same level of attention.  We went out for an Easter Brunch, and while we waited on a bench to be seated at our table, I had my leg outstretched for comfort.  No one seemed to notice, while Steve kept trying to keep people from tripping over me.  We took a drive down to Lieper's Fork to show Brian around, and I decided to get out of the car and join Brian and Steve who had gone into Puckett's grocery.  Two guys hanging out on motorcycles casually watched me crossing the street, hopping on the walker, and asked me if I had hurt my foot.  They had no idea the pain I've been in!!


Later, we went to Trader Joe's and I had to use the restroom.  It was a long brutal stretch getting from the car to the back of the store, only to find a line.  I was appalled that while I was exhausted, struggling to "hold it"  and leaning for balance against a garbage can, the lady ahead of me didn't offer to let me go in!  By the end of the day, all I could think of is "waaaaaah, I want my wheelchair back."  I guess this is why some people can get sick over and over again:  because the attention feels so good!

All day Monday I lay around recovering from the big, tiring, Easter outing. And  yesterday we went to Goodwill and bought some crutches.  

Yeah, I'm gonna miss all of the special attention, but I'd rather be well.